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Several years ago I sat in a “vision” service of a local
church and heard the pastor declare to his listeners that while he was hanging
out in the woods recently God “spoke” clearly to him and revealed to him a 2020
vision for the church – in other words what their church would look like by the
year 2020. The pastor was clear that his vision was “without a doubt a clear
word from God.” Of course, this “God-given” vision included larger attendance
and giving numbers, more campuses in surrounding cities and bigger influence
locally and globally. I even remember vividly the pastor suggesting God informed him they would reach a certain numerical attendance goal based on
some type of misguided “tithing” principle where God would give them 10% of the
number of people who lived in the specific cities where they planned to launch
campuses.
I was somewhat shocked by the confidence with which the speaker made
his declarations based on the premise “God spoke” these promises to him. I
asked my …

For a few years now I have basically put down my pen. Outside of writing weekly messages for City Church and a few other thoughts here or there, I have not had a lot to say publicly. Honestly I still don't. God has been teaching me to listen and absorb more than I speak. And in the process, I think God is helping me find my voice again. I am not sure. But I think.

I have been through a lot of life in the last decade. The 2010s included both my lowest moments of life and also many of my most favorite memories. God has generated life from death, beauty from ashes, redemption from brokenness.

And that is kind of how life works: the good, the bad, and the ugly tend to manifest themselves for seasons of time ... each season gradually teaching, shaping, and transforming us.

Most of my lowest moments in life have been self-induced. That is not always the case. Some valleys are the direct consequence of the brokenness of the world we traverse. No explanation provided. Other times we are …

When the doctor announced that we were having a son, I shouted for joy (literally). Don't get me wrong: I love my 2 daughters. They are my girls and they hold the keys to my heart in ways they do not even realize. And I was convinced a third daughter was my parental destiny. So when I learned I was the father of a son, my spontaneous reaction was sheer delight. This week, my son Zachary Devin Hudson turns 16. Here are a few my thoughts to Zac.

You are my son and I am proud to be your dad.

I love you Zac more than life. I am proud to be your father. The elation I felt on the day the doctor revealed I was having a son has exponentially grown and deepened. When I tell people that you are my son, I do so with pride, pleasure and excitement. The ways that you are a great son to me are more than I can list.

For example, almost every Sunday on our ride home from church when it is normally just you and me in the car, you encourage me. You tell me how awesome the message was that d…

We spent the last 3 Sundays at City Church deconstructing the historical, eternal, and everyday life implications of the resurrection of Jesus. This gospel-centered series was a great reminder of the centrality of the resurrection to our beliefs, hope, future, and daily living.

To watch the messages, go here.
To subscribe to or listen to the podcast, go here.

Here are a few of the truths that stood out to me.

Historical

- There is no form of historic Christianity that does not affirm at its heart that after the brutal death of Jesus Christ that the Father raised him to life again. The resurrection is woven into the structure of Christian belief, life, and thought - informing everything about our faith.

- The survival of the movement known as Christianity makes no sense outside of the resurrection of Jesus. Christianity did not survive because of the teachings, miracles, pithy sayings, or even the death of Jesus. It survived and thrived because people encountered a man alive who t…

This past Sunday I taught at City Church from John 4:43-54 about a desperate father who comes to Jesus on behalf of his dying son with the sole purpose of bringing Jesus back to his house for a miraculous healing. What he received from Jesus instead tested the essence and validity of his fledgling faith.

This story is found between one of the most recognized encounters of Jesus - the Samaritan woman (we spent 3 weeks walking through it) & one of his most dramatic miracles (curing a man who was an invalid for 38 years). For that reason, we have a tendency to view it as more of a filler moment in the life of Jesus but this week I was reminded of the depth of what took place in this narrative. Here were some of the things we dug into yesterday.

- Jesus responds to desperation with compassion. He meets us right where we are - in our life context.

- Jesus asks us to trust Him with what is closest to our souls - what we value the most. Can Jesus be trusted with my kids, my marriage,…

This Sunday I am preaching from John 3:22-36. Following on the heels of one of the most popular texts in the Bible, this story often gets neglected but serves as one of the clearest ministry models in the New Testament. Let me put it in context for you.

John the Baptizer hits the preaching circuit in full force. He is provocative, confrontational, inflammatory, and offensive. His message stands in stark contrast to the religious world of his day and the commoners love him. They flock to hear him. He is baptizing people by the droves. Reporters are itching to get an interview with this crazy desert dweller turned evangelist. He rocks the establishment.

He even has disciples ... students ... loyal followers who have been transformed by his message of repentance. John has a devoted team and his ministry is busting at the seams. Outreach Magazine is calling ... "let's get you on that fastest-growing list Johnny."

Yesterday at City Church we completed a 13-week series on God's grace entitled Charis (the Greek word for grace). It is a series I have been putting together and processing for a few years now. Perhaps no set of sermons has ever been more personal to me. Here are a few of my takeaways.

- Grace is more than tolerance or leniency. It is even more than the unmerited favor of God. Those definitions dilute the fierce and aggressive nature of grace ... which not only welcomes rebels but relentlessly pursues them.

- If grace does not offend your human sense of justice or fairness at some point, you probably do not grasp a) the magnitude of your own sin and/or b) the scandalous nature of His grace.

- Grace is more than a doctrine. Grace is found most clearly embedded in stories. The Bible from cover to cover is filled with the narrative of broken people who stand in need of radical grace and the God who pursues them. Do not try and restrict it to a theological concept that you can…